Brand Identity has undergone several metamorphoses to suit the changing business landscape. In basic terms, brand identity has always been associated with a logo and company name. But in the real sense and practical case, a brand identity far exceeds those two. So, what is a brand identity?
Brand identity describes the elements that identify and differentiate a brand from its competitors in the mind of the consumer. These elements notably may be visual including the logo, name, slogan, colours and design patterns or perceptive such as in tone and voice among others. However, a brand identity transcends the borders of what is seen with the eye. A brand identity represents, personifies and characterizes a business. Simply put, a brand identity is who you are.
In building a brand identity, businesses seek to create a certain brand image that creates in the consumers’ minds a desired perception of the brand. Organizations invest resources into building a brand identity for several reasons. These reasons in one way or the other contribute to business success. Now let’s take a look at how brand identity is essential to business success.
Build a personality/image.
Brand identity helps businesses build a unique and identifiable personality for their organizations. This unique personality which has characters that speak directly to a certain group of audience about a particular product, service or organization is a key touchpoint for businesses. Based on that personality, representatives of the company or its products and services are treated with a certain level of respect based on the value of respect commanded by that personality. Nike for instance has by its “Just Do It” motto created a personality of a motivated and persistent athlete who pushes themselves to the extreme to achieve results.
Trust and credibility
The second influence of brand identity on business success is the building of trust and credibility. A strong brand identity means a uniquely created brand image as explained above which comfortably characterizes a brand to represent a particular personality in the minds of consumers. With the personality clearly defined, consumers can create relationships with that personality and that ultimately can translate to building trust and raising the brand’s credibility. You certainly know what trusts and credibility means in business and how important that is towards building a clan of loyal consumers.
Awareness
A brand identity is a representation of everything about the company that describes its perceived personality. With a unique and consistent brand identity, brands could leverage that to build traction in awareness creation. The consistent identification is capable of playing as a strong memory touchpoint. This could then trigger a viral effect when those already inclined to the brand repeatedly take action on the brand’s messaging due to the association. Brand awareness is very essential and putting a business in front of customers, especially new ones and is one key tool that can be used to grow your business.
Build loyalty
Brand identity as discussed is a tool that personifies a brand using all its elements. When people identify as friends, they develop loyalty of some sort. Though these may not always come quickly, when they finally happen, the effort will always be considered worth the rewards. A brand identity has the potential to create loyalty. When awareness is created and people get to know a brand, they may engage with the brand and experience it more. After that experience, they may slowly get attached to the personality or image created by the brand. This can lead to long-term friendship or loyalty.
Enhances marketing
A brand identity is the central figure around which a company identifies and differentiates itself from the competition. Building a unique and strong identity thus solves a puzzle piece that can greatly improve marketing activities. This is because once you have a strong brand identity, it helps you to easily define your target audience based on the persona you have created for your brand. That in turn helps you to easily craft a marketing strategy which is crucial to your marketing efforts. The idea of brand identity is to create a consistent line that includes both visual and non-visual elements that together contribute to creating a positive perception in the minds of the customers. Creating this identity gives marketers leverage that they can use to adapt their marketing communication strategies to align with the brand’s image.
Conclusion
A brand identity is an undeniable part of businesses and the proliferation of companies especially ones with similar names and logos makes brand identity even more unavoidable. Companies are working every day to refine their brand identities to match changes in business goals, transition to new industries or explore new product and service lines. The logo, mission statement, core values, typography, colours and other brand identity elements remain essential in establishing a unique and strong brand image.
Though these are proven benefits of establishing a brand identity, these are not exclusive but just a few of the numerous benefits brands can derive from establishing strong brand identities.
